Mount for rock drills



p i 1955 J. E. ALVERSON ET AL MOUNT FOR ROCK DRILLS Filed Feb. 24. 1955 a a r H O e Q mm m 3 N A mw 4 WE A E N I l HD mm 40 REL? *4;

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United States Patent i MUUNT FOR BECK DRILLS John E. Alverson and find 'i. Stevenson, Henderson, Nev.

Application February 24, 1953, Serial No. 338,384

16 Claims. (Cl. 255-53) This invention relates to apparatus for securely mounting power rock drills in the driving of mine drifts underground and in similar situations encountered in construction work in general.

Conventional mounting apparatus of this character utilizes a vertical column or jack bar, which is either mechanically or pneumatically extended to firmly anchor it in a drift or tunnel by pressure engagement against the bottom and top walls thereof. A drill-mounting arm is slidably fitted to the column for positional adjustment vertically, and extends laterally of the column as a horizontal support adapted to receive the rock drill assembly, which is ordinarily termed a drifter drill and includes the drilling mechanism proper as weil as a mounting carriage therefor embodying feed regulating mecha nism. This mounting carriage with its feed regulating mechanism is ordinarily termed a drifter shell.

The adjustable attachment of drill-mounting arm to vertical column is conventionally accomplished by means of a bolted clamping arrangement, which must be loosened and retightened by a special chuck wrench for each adjustment. The drifter shell mounting the drifter drill is firmly attached to the drill-mounting arm by means of a saddle, which is adjustably clamped to the arm by a bolted arrangement necessitating further use of the chuck wrench in the loosening and retightening of the saddle for each positional adjustment of the drifter shell and drill horizontally along the arm.

We have found in practice that this conventional apparatus is extremely awkward to handle, and that adjustment thereof to meet the needs of constantly changing drilling positions is unduly time consuming. Furthermore, we have found that the vertically wedged column tends to loosen when force is exerted on the equipment to withdraw a drill which has stuck in the drilled rock formation, an occurrence which is by no means uncommon, particularly in unconsolidated ground.

Again, when it is desired to drill a hole longer than the slideway of the drifter shell, extraction of the drill in broken ground becomes a real problem. After the drill is extracted to the extent permitted by the length of the shell, it is necessary to loosen the clamping arrangement which secures the drill mounting arm to the column, and swing the arm with its supported drifter shell and drill back out of the way, leaving the drill steel in the hole so that the extraction thereof may be completed manually by use of a wrench.

Other disadvantages exist in the fact that even slight sidewise adjustments of the drill require extensive loosening and retightening of bolts, and that the column must be structurally heavy in order to resist twisting moments exerted during the drilling and extraction operations.

In accordance with the present invention, we have provided mounting apparatus for drifter drills, which entirely eliminates all of these difiiculties long existing with standard equipment, and which provides a new and most advantageous approach to the problem of satisfactorily mounting rock drills for operation at the drilling site.

Our rock drill mounting apparatus enables the drill to align itself automatically while in operation, thereby eliminating heretofore encountered friction of the drill steel against the sides of the hole being drilled, particularly in fractured rock formations.

It eliminates the use of conventional arm clamps and saddle clamps in association with the drill mounting arm, together with the customary use of wrenches to fix and maintain the drill in drilling position. In this way, it

2,707,094 Patented Apr. 26, 1955 substantially reduces the time and effort normally consumed in initially mounting the drill for operation and in making directional adjustments during the course of completion of a drill hole.

By reason of its peculiar construction, our new apparatus reduces considerably the total time involved in driv ing a given length of drift or tunnel underground and in producing any given round of drill holes. It greatly facilitates any rock drilling operation for which it is adapted.

Many of the advantages of the invention are due to the elimination of rigidly fixed positions for the drifter drill and shell assembly. Our construction makes this possible, without sacrificing firmness of mounting or es sential reaction resistance to the drilling operation.

In our apparatus, we utilize a horizontal column or jack bar, which is wedged in customary fashion between opposing side walls of the drift or tunnel, rather than between the bottom and top walls thereof. This eliminates any tendency toward loosening of its anchorage, inasmuch as there are no twisting moments exerted by the drifter drill relative to the column.

In combination with the horizontal column, we provide a structural mounting arrangement which renders the drifter drill and shell what might be appropriately referred to as free floating, inasmuch as the rear end of the shell is free for limited movement in quasi-pivotal fashion, even though otherwise firmly secured, and the forward end tests freely on a horizontal mounting arm for such lateral movement as might be imposed by the drilling operation to achieve necessary drill steel alignment with the hole to be drilled.

Such structural mounting arrangement includes, in its preferred form, an elongate base mount adapted to extend longitudinally forwardly from attachment at its rearward end to the transverse horizontal column, and a standard which rises from the forward end of the base mount. The rearward portion of the base mount is provided with a longitudinal series of retainers for the handle of the drifter shell, and the standard is provided with a drill mounting arm whose height relative to the standard is adjustable.

The drifter drill shell rests upon the mounting arm of the standard at any given height demanded by the particular drill operation, while the handle of the drifter shell is securely retained by an appropriate one of the retainers associated with the base mount.

By utilizing a threaded jack shaft in conjunction with the standard in providing height adjustability for the mounting arm, precise positioning of the drifter drill can be had almost instantly and by merely the turning of a crank attached to the jack shaft.

Additional objects and features of the invention are detailed hereinafter in connection with the description of the particular preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of the apparatus operatively mounted in typical fashion in a drift underground, a standard type of drifter drill and shell assembly being illustrated in mounted position, with the drill steel at a forward portion of a drilling stroke;

Fig. 2, a side elevation partly in longitudinal axial sectlon;

Fig. 3, a front elevation of the apparatus as disassociated from the horizontal column or jack bar, the drifter drill and shell having been removed; and

Fig. 4, a view corresponding to that of Fig. 3, but illustrating a different embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

The preferred embodiments here illustrated in detail are typical of the various constructions which may be adopted in practice to take advantage of the unique structural and functional concepts of the invention.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, a column or jack bar 10 of standard mechanical type is horizontally and transversely positioned with respect to the drift 11 within which the drill is to be mounted. The threaded shaft portion 10a thereof is extended in customary fashion to tightly wedge the column between the 0p posing side walls 12 and 13 of the drift.

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The walls of the drift, including the bottom wall or floor 14, Fig. 2, are usually rough and uneven, as shown, and the column is positioned horizontally as close to floor level as is practical under the circumstances. The nature of the apparatus permits reasonable leeway in selecting a suitable anchorage location.

The drifter drill mounting structure extendsforward- 1y, longitudinally of the drift, from secure but easily adjusted anchorage to the column 10. It is made up essentially of an elongate base mount and a standard 16 rising from the forward end of the base mount.

The base mount 15 is advantageously of T-formation, and may be conveniently made up of an elongate structural metal channel having a plate 15a welded transversely across its forward end and to the bottom face of its web member to provide a firm and stable footing for the forward portion of the apparatus.

The standard 16 is preferably offset laterally from the longitudinal member of the base mount, and, to this end, rises from attachment to one of the sidewardly disposed ends of the plate member 15a, as shown. For ease of assembly and disassembly of the apparatus, considering the fact that it is continually being moved from place to place, the standard is provided by a metal pipe, and is detachably secured in place by a stub post 18 over which it is fitted and to which it is keyed by a pin 19. The stub post 18 rises, from firm securement, as by welding, to the base member 15a, :1 distance sufficient to afford a firm anchorage for the standard 16.

The rearward end of the base mount 15 is firmly affixed to the horizontal column 10. For ease of disassembly and positional adjustment transversely of the drift, a hinged clamping saddle 20 is utilized. In order to permit limited positional adjustment of the drill laterally of the drift, without changing the position of the saddle 20 relative to the column, a pivotal attachment for the base mount 15 relative to the saddle is provided. To this end, the saddle is formed with an upper bearing plate portion 20a and with a threaded shank 20b projecting rigidly and upwardly therefrom as a pivot pin, which is received by a corresponding opening in the rearward end of the base mount 15. A nut 22 serves to fasten the assembly in any adjusted position, it being realized that the base mount 15 may be swung about the shank 2012 as a center in the adjustment of the apparatus to any desired position.

For the purpose of positively locking the base mount in adjusted position, it is advantageous to provide a series of holes 23 in the rear margin of the base mount 15 for registry with a corresponding hole or holes in the bearing plate member 20a of the saddle 20. A locking pin 24 is then inserted in a pair of registering holes.

For directly receiving and supporting the forward portion of a drifter shell 25, in which a drifter drill 26 is slidably mounted in conventional fashion, a mounting arm 27 is adjustably attached to the standard 16, so as to extend laterally therefrom over and transversely of the base mount 15.

While various structural arrangements may be satisfactorily resorted to in the adjustable securement of such mounting arm to the standard, inasmuch as the function of the arm is merely support, a preferred construction from the standpoint of ease of adjustment is to form the attachment end of the arm 27 as a sleeve 27a embracing the standard 16 in a close sliding fit, and to provide an elongate jack shaft 28 in closely spaced relationship to the standard 16, for screw engagement by an internally threaded intermediate portion 27b of the arm 27.

It is advantageous that the jack shaft 28, standard 16, and arm 27 be attached together, so that the entire assembly can be handled as a unit in the setting up and taking down of the apparatus. To this end, the jack shaft is advantageously journaled for rotation in upper and lower bearing members 16a projecting laterally from the standard.

For the purpose of rotating the jack shaft to raise or lower the mounting arm 27 with respect to the standard, a crank 29 is provided at the upper end of the jack shaft. Since it is desirable that the crank be permanently attached to the jack shaft, yet be freely movable at all times to an out of the way position, the upper end of the jack shaft is advantageously reduced in diameter, to provide an unthreaded shank 28a, and

4 is headed, as at 28b, to enable the handle 29 to be lifted from engagement with the mating upper end 28c of the jack shaft, see Fig. 2, and swung out of the way without danger of loss.

The rearward portion of base mount 15 is provided with a longitudinal series of spaced retainers 30 for the usual rigidly attached yet bail-like or loop handle 25a of the drifter shell. The illustrated retainers 30 are of opposed, double hook, socket formation, positioned with the closed hook beds 30a and 30b at the rear and the front respectively, and with the centrally disposed and open entry 30c uppermost, so the loop handle 25a of the drifter shell may be easily and quickly inserted. This type of retainer is preferred, but any forwardly hooked retainer may be employed, since the essential requisite is the provision of an upstanding and forwardly overhanging member to furnish reaction against back-thrust of the drifter shell during the drilling operation and to yet afford leeway for limited sidewise and forward movement of the received drifter shell handle as the forward portion of the drifter shell slides upon the receiving bed 27c in accommodating the drill assembly to any required alignment during the drilling or drill steel extraction operation, or prior thereto. It should be noted that the retainers are effectively narrower than the width of the received handle for this purpose.

The retainers 30 will ordinarily be formed from structural metal shapes in order to have sufficient rigidity and structural strength to effect their purpose, and are preferably welded to the upper surface of the web of the elongate channel member of base mount 15.

In setting up the apparatus in any new location, the extendable column or jack bar 10 is firmly anchored across the width of the drift, as illustrated, and the saddle 20 is clamped in place at a suitable location along its length. The base mount 15 is then firmly secured and locked to the bearing plate 20b, either in the illustrated perpendicular position relative to the column 10, or in any other angular position permitted by the series of holes 23. The standard and mounting arm assembly 16, 27, and 28, is then inserted over and securely fastened to the post 18, and the position of the arm 27 adjusted to suitable height by means of the crank 29. The apparatus is then ready to receive the drifter drill and shell in the manner illustrated, that is to say, by resting the forward end of the shell 25 upon the mounting arm 27, and inserting the handle 25a in one or another of the retainers 30.

In the use of the drill as so mounted, the feed regulating mechanism of the drifter shell 25 advances the drill 26 in customary manner, so that the drill steel 31 progressively bores into the drift end face 32.

Because of the free sliding nature of the mounting of the drifter shell on the arm 27, and the freedom afforded by the retainer 30 for the drifter shell handle 25a, the drill is free to align itself automatically, while in operation, with the exact direction of the drill hole. Furthermore, because of this arrangement, the drifter shell may be quickly and easily slid backwardly to anchorage within an appropriate rearwardly-positioned retainer in those instances where a hole longer than the slideway of the drifter shell is drilled. This enables the drill-regulating mechanism of the drifter shell to be employed for withdrawing the drill in such instances of abnormally long drill holes, just as in instances of drill holes of normal length.

The retainer 30 provides a directly opposing reaction against the drifter shell during the drilling operation; the mounting arm 27 is not utilized for that purpose. Consequently, no disruptive forces are exerted upon the standard and height-regulating jack shaft. Furthermore, there are no twisting moments active upon the horizontal column or jack bar, such as exist with the conventional vertical column. Accordingly, the column or jack bar can be made structurally lighter in'the instance of the invention.

It can be seen that adjustment of the height of the drill for or during any drilling operation can be quickly and precisely accomplished by merely turning the crank 29 of the jack shaft in the appropriate direction and to an appropriate extent. Again, the entire base mount 15 and structure mounted thereon can be quickly and easily swung laterally to either one side or the other by merely loosening the nut 22 and removing the locking pin 24.

Because the entire construction is demountable in character, the apparatus can be quickly and easily moved from place to place underground.

The embodiment of Fig. 4 possesses many of the advantages of that just described. It indicates, however, how structural changes can be made without avoiding the essential inventive concepts. Thus, this embodiment is designed to accommodate two drifter shell and drill assemblies side by side, and utilizes a pair of standards for supporting a mounting cross-bar therebetween.

As illustrated, the two base mounts 40 and 41 have a cross-member 42 in common. Otherwise, they are identical with the base mount 15, having a series of retainers 43 similar to the retainers 30 fastened thereto, and having stub posts 44, similar to the stub post 18, offset sidewardly of the longitudinal portions of the base mounts for demountably receiving respective standards 45 and 46 The standards 45 and 46 are drilled transversely to provide a series of receiving holes 47 for a cross-bar 48, which is securely fastened in and between any appropriate pair of registering holes 47 by means of pins 49 inserted into respective receiving holes provided at opposite ends of such cross-bar 48;

The drifter shell and drill assemblies are mounted in this instance in a manner similar to that described for the first embodiment, and operation and mounting adjustment of the drill assembly is substantially the same.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with respect to certain preferred forms thereof, it should be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the claims which here follow.

We claim:

1. Mounting apparatus for rock drills equipped with a drill-feed carriage having a handle adjacent one end, comprising an elongate base; a standard secured at the forward end of said base and offset laterally thereof; a supporting rest member rigidly carried by and extending laterally from said standard in overlying relationship with the forward end of said base; a forwardly overhanging and laterally open retainer secured to said base near the rearward end thereof for loosely receiving the handle of said carriage, said retainer serving as reaction means against backward force of said carriage during a drilling operation; and means for anchoring said base relative to the formation to be drilled. r

2. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the base-anchoring means includes a horizontal jack bar extending transversely of the elongate base, and a saddle for removably attaching said base to said jack bar.

3. The combination recited in claim 2, wherein the saddle includes pivotal securement means for the elongate base, so as to permit adjusted positioning of the latter about the saddle as a center.

4. The combination recited in claim 3, wherein the pivotal securement means comprises a bearing plate member rigid with and disposed at the top of the saddle; a pivot pin projecting upwardly from fixed attachment to said plate member; an opening in the rear end portion of the elongate base for receiving said pivot pin; and means for securing said end portion of the base to said bearing plate member of the saddle in any given adjusted position of said base.

5. The combination recited in claim 4, wherein said securing means comprises corresponding series of pinreceiving openings in the bearing plate member and in the base rear end portion, respectively, extending about the said pivot pin and the said receiving opening therefor; and a securing pin adapted to be inserted in a registering pair of the openings of said series in any given adjusted position of said base.

6. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the retainer is of opposing, double hook formation having a transverse opening at its top for the insertion of the handle of the drifter shell.

7. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the standard is demountably secured to the base.

8. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein a second standard is secured in opposing relationship to the first standard at the opposite side of the forward end of the base and is likewise offset laterally thereof, and wherein the supporting member extends between and is secured to both standards.

9. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein adjustable means secure the supporting member to the standard, so the height of the former can be adjusted at will.

10. The combination recited in claim 9, wherein the supporting member is slidably mounted on the standard, and the adjustable means securing said supporting member to said standard is an elongate screw shaft threaded through said supporting member and journaled in fixed relationship on said standard; and wherein means are provided for rotating said shaft for adjusting the height of said supporting member.

11. The combination recited in claim 10, wherein the shaft rotating means comprises a manually manipulated crank at the upper end of the shaft, said upper end being formed to mate with the crank and having an upward extension of reduced dimension which is headed and which is encircled by the mating portion of the crank, whereby said crank may be swung freely into an out of the way position without disengagementfrom said shaft.

12. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the retainer for the handle of the carriage is provided in multiple, the several retainers being arranged in mutually spaced serial alignment longitudinally of the elongate base.

13. Mounting apparatus for rock drills equipped with a drill-feed carriage, comprising an elongate base; a standard secured at the forward end of said base; a supporting rest member firmly secured relative to said standard in height adjustable relationship therewith, said member presenting an upwardly-facing, receiving bed as a supporting rest for the forward portion of the drill-feed carriage of a rock drill; and retaining means for engaging the rearward end of said drill-feed carriage to resist rearward movement of said carriage, said retaining means being disposed adjacent the rearward end of said base, and being formed to permit free lateral movement of said drillfeed carriage during drilling operations.

14. The combination recited in claim 13, wherein the retaining means for the rearward end of the drill-feed carriage is a forwardly directed, overhanging hook member adapted to receive a bail-like handle at the rearward end of the drill-feed carriage.

15. In combination with a rock drill equipped with a drill-feed carriage, an elongate mounting base; a standard secured at the forward end of said base; means associated with said standard in height-adjustable relationship thereto, receiving and supporting the forward portion of said drill-feed carriage of the rock drill in laterally free sliding relationship; and retaining means engaging the rearward end of said drill-feed carriage to resist rearward movement of said carriage, said retaining means being disposed adjacent the rearward end of said base and being formed to permit free lateral movement of said drill-feed carriage during drilling operations.

16. Mounting apparatus for rock drills equipped with a drill-feed carriage, comprising an elongate base; supporting means rigidly carried by said base: and having a rest member disposed in elevated position adjacent the forward end of said base, for receiving and supporting the forward portion of the drill-feed carriage of a rock drill in laterally free sliding relationship; means for adjusting the height of said rest member relative to said base; and retaining means for engaging the rearward end of said drill-feed carriage to resist rearward movement of said carriage, said retaining means being disposed adjacent the rearward end of said base and being formed to permit free lateral movement of said drill-feed carriage during drilling operations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 524,993 Dixon Aug. 21, 1894 934,102 Smith Sept. 14, 1909 1,538,142 Stretausky May 19, 1925 

